Apparatus for treating tin cans and the like.



....l. 0 9 1... 9s l nm E P D E T N E T A P E C T I E L M RW 7 31 4 4. oo nu N APPARATUS FOR TREATING TIN GANS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l2, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED PEB. 19, 1907.

M. LEITGH. APPARATUS POR TREATING TIN GANS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 121904. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 844,373. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

M. LEITGH.

APPARATUS POR TRI-EATING TIN GANS AND THE LIKE.` APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 12, 1904.

a SHEETS-SHEET s,

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and largely removing the carbonized matter narran sfrafrns Earn FFIGE.

MEREDITH LEITOH, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssreNoR 'ro SHEET METAL RECOVERY COMPANY, A OORPORATION'OE NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR TREATENG TIN CAMS AND THE LIKE.l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application led November 12,1904. Serial No. 232.420.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MEREDITH LErroH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Tin Cans and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvement-s in apparatusfor and methods of separating incombustible materials of different melting temperatures and also in apparatus for and methods of carbonizine` carbonaceous matters and separatin such carbonized matters from inoombustibie materials, and has for its object to produce a new and improved apparatus for andA method of accomplishing these results.

My apparatus is particularly useful in treating old tin cans for the purpose of removing the solder therefrom and separating the parts ofthe cans and also for carbonizing the carbonaceous matters adhering thereto from the cans.

The invention constitutes an impivement upon the invention h ereinbel'ore described Ey me in application Serial No. 201,230,

ed April 2, 1904, and consists of the various features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partiall)T in section, and with parts broken away. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same with parts broken away. Fig. 3 represents a section of part of the maclnne on the line m, the construction of the two halves on the line a: :t being the same. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relation of certain elements.

Referrin more particularly to the drawings, AA 1s the main shaft ofthe machine, journaled in bearings yB B. lThe shaft A' carries a rotating basket C. Within the rotating basket de ends a hop er D. The basket issurroundbd by an inc osing wall or casing E, which supports the hopper D and is itself supported over a pit F, formed by the cement foundation G. The pit F has an opening in one side normall closed by the sealed door F', through whic matter falling the lower end of which is submerged in a tank of water or other liquid I, so as to be sealed thereby. The result of this is that even when the machine is not in 'operation every opening to the chamber containing the basket C, except the opening through the hopper D, is closed. This closed chamber As heat-ed to a melting and carbonizing temperature, as hereinafter described. The hop er D -is provided with one -or more ribs la', which coa'ct with the feed-screw J, carried by the shaft A A so as to prevent material which is fed into the hopper from being carried around by the shaft. From this 1t results that the feed-screw J, when revolved counter-clockwise, forces the material down through the hopper into the basket C. The basket C is ,provided with perforationsc, which serve a triple function of permitting the melted solder to be discharged therethrough and also sifting out the matter which may have become carbonized and dislodged from the cans and a third function hereinafter described. The melted solder and the carbonized matter as it passes through the perforations c falls down into the pit F and 1s removed from time to time through the door F preferably after the machine thas stopped and cooled off.

K is a pipe leading into the basket C and provided with perforations kat its inner end, so as to supply a mixture of gas and air, the proportions being controlled b v the valves L and M, so that in burning there will be no free oxygen within the chamber containing the basketC. This produces a deoxidized atmosphere the temperature of which should be high enough to melt the solder or other material of low-melting temperature ithout melting the material of high-melting temperature. The heat which will melt solder will generally be sufficient for carbonizing. lVhen carbonizing only is the object aimed at, the heat should be such as will be most efficacious in accomplishing that end. The atmosphere being deoxidized does not attack either the solder or the steel of the tin cans, and, what is more of the greatest importance, does not att-ack the tin coating of tin upon the cans. If it were not for this deoxidized atmosphere, the cans upon being heated would have their tin coatings so oxidized that such coatings would be lost so far as future recovery of the tin is concerned.

In order to impart from time to time a series of sharp impacts to the cans or other material treated Within the basket, I provide a series of toothed disks N N, which are mounted upon the shaft O O, the teeth protruding through the slots c c of the basket C.

disks N with the basket C for causing the disks N to revolve when the basket is revolved by power applied to its shaft. In the operation of the machine the basket C is revolved at a high rate of speed, so that cans which are fed thereto through the hopper D are held against its periphery by centrifugal force and from which it results that vas they are carried round they are brought into violent contact with the teeth on disks N N. This results in knocking or jarring off loose globules of solder, removing a' great portion of the matter which has been carbonized and also in knocking into pieces the heated cans.

I preferably have a plurality of sets of disks vN N-for instance, three-as shown in .Fig 2, although one is ysuliicient in some cases. The disks are inclosed in supple lmental casingsN, secured to the main `casing so as not to .interfere with the sealingof the chamber. The disks iT N in my machine also produce an additional result which is brought about by a very slight inclination of their axes relatively to the axis of the shaft A A', this inclination being such that the end near the discharge-opening of said receptacle points in the direction opposite to the direction of the rotation of the basket C-i. e., in thefapparatus of the drawings in a clockwise direction. This inclination should preferably be very slight, in fact, so slight as to be incapable of correct illustration in the drawings. It,` however, can be varied ascircumstances may require. It is shown diagrammatically and largely exaggerated in a diagram, Fig. 4, in which a a represent the position of a plane lpassing through the axis of the shaft A A and the lower-end 'of the shaft O O', and o o represent the position of a plane passing through the axis of the shaft O O and the lower end of the axis of vthe shaft A A. The point of view of the diagram is from the periphery of the machine toward its center. vThis inclination of the shaft O O and the disks N N, carried thereby, causes the impact on the cans treated to be in an outward or upwardly inclined direction, resulting in a slow upward movement of the cans from tlns cause alone, such'that the basket will nearly empty itself when the feeding of cans has been discontinued. The directions of movement of the basket C and the teeth which protrude through it are rep- -resented by the arrows cand n.

In a machine of this class the centrifugal 6 5- force due to the revolution ofthe basket C I preferably rely on this engagement of the toothed would naturally cause the gases and prod-- ucts of combustion within the chamber containing that basket to ily outward. In my machine, however, unless other means of exit are provided the products` of combustion in my machine will all be forced tol find eXit by means of the hopper D, through which the materials to be treated are to be fed. This forms a seal preventing atmospheric air from passing through the hopper D into the chamber containing the basket '(7. It is not, however, necessary to have the products of combustion pass out through the hop' per D, and, in fact, it is only necessary that a gas seal should be in the hopper, so as to prevent air .from entering at that point. I have, therefore, provided flues P P', which permit the greater part., and preferably all, of the products of combustion to circulate through a more natural channel. formed on each side of the casing E. Their chine and their upper ends Aopen into the hood Q coveringthe hopper. The hood Q is provided with a cover R, through which access can be obtained and also with an inlet or opening S, through which the cans or other material to be treated are fed. With this construction the gases generated and the products of combustion which escape will pass upward through the flues and find exit through the opening S or other outlet. The fines should be preferably so large as to permit the gases and productsof combustion to pass freely, in which case they will in part be drawn from the hood Q downward through the hopper D, so as to again enter the chamber within the casing E, thus producing a circulation through the material being treated. By causing the heated gases and the products of combustion to pass outward to the iues through the perforations of the basket they are brought into closer relations to all parts of the material treated, so that it is more evenly and thoroughly heated, and at the same time the dust-like particles are blown through the perforations to the sides of the casing and to the pitin the comparatively quiet atmosphere of which they settle. In` a machine of this sort the `bearings are liable to become more or less heated and are Aissupported t lercin by bushings having perforations 5. Through these perforations flows water, which is sup lied by tle inlet 6, so as to fill the interior o the cup-like mem- These flues P P are -lower ends open into the pit beneath the ma- IIO ber 4 and to How over its upper edge into the 1 receptacle having perforations'therein, a seannular trough 7.

venient place.

From this annular trough l 7 it is carried ofi by a Waste-pipe 8 to any coni It will be seen that the Water thus serves two functions-namely, that of keeping the bearing cool and that of sealing the bearing against dust and dirt. The upper edge 2 of the journal-box rises above the upper edge of the cup 4, so that the Water does not come incontact with the shaft A A or the antifriction-rollers 3 and is therefore kept from mingling With the lubricating-oil that may be used.

ries of rotatable disks having teeth protruding through said perforations and means for maintaining a heated deoxiuizeo atmosphere in and about said receptacle.

5. In a furnace for treating tin cans and 2 the like the combination of a casing having In operation t-he basket is revolved counter- 1 clockwise, so that material that rises above the edge of the basket C is thrown oit' and discharged through the outlet H'. f

It is to be noted that the pipe K for introducing the mixture of air and gas into the chamber containing the basket t) is just beyond the exit H-that is, on the far side of the exit with reference' to a point on the moving basket which is approaching the exit. The advantage of placing the pipe K in this position on the far side of the exit is that it is l not liable to be hit by cans or other material which is carried around by the basket C, since all matter which would otherwise be likely to strike the pipe K Will have been discharged by centrifugal force through the exit H prior to reaching the point where the pipe K 1s located.

What I claim is- 1. In a furnace for treatlng tin cans and the like, the combination of a casing, means for maintaining by combustion a deoXidized atmosphere Within said casing, said atmosphere being maintained at a high degree of temperature by said ombustion, and rotatable means Within said casing for receiving material and causing said material to be subjected to mechanical blows. l

2. In a furnace for treating tin cans and ,the like, the combination of a casing, said casing having feeding and discharge openings, and means for sealing said openings when the furnace is in use, means for producing by combustion a deoxidized atmosphere Within said casing, said atmosphere being i maintained-at a high degree of temperature by said combustion, and rotatable means Within said casing for receiving material and ,causing said material to be subjected to feeding and discharge openings, a rotating receptacle, means for imparting impact in a direction toward the discharge-opening to the material Within said receptacle and means for'maintaining a heated deoxidized atmosphere in and aboutsaid receptacle.

6. In a furnace for treating tin cans and the like the combination of a casing having feeding and discharge openings, a rotating receptacle Within said casing having perforations therein, a series of rotatable disks having teeth protruding. through said perforations, said disks having their axis of revolution inclined so that the end near the discharge-opening of said receptacle points in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said receptacle and means for maintaining a heated deoxidized atmosphere in and about said'rece tacle.

7. In a furnace or treating tin cans and the like the combination of a casing having a feeding-hopper and a discharge-opening, a liquid seal for said discharge-opening, means for creating a gas seal for the opening through said hopper and a hood coverlng said hopper for restraining the escape of the gases or products of combustion and permitting them to escape only at the desired point.

8. In a furnace for treating tin cans and the like the combination of a casing having a feeding-hopper and a discharge-opening, a

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liquid seal for said discharge-opening, means 1 v the like the combination with a casing having a feed-hopper and a discharge-opening, of a rotatable receptacle Within sa1d casing, means for maintaining a heated deoxidized atmosphere in and about said receptacle, a hood inclosing the space above said hopper and a iiue independent of said hopper connecting with the space -surrounding said receptacle and leading to the inclosed space above said hopper'. i

10. In a furnace for treating tin cans and the like the combination of a casing having sealed feeding and discharge openings, a rotatable basket inside said casing a pipe supplying combustible gasto the interior of said basket, said pipe being located on the far side of said discharge-opening with reference to a point on the moving basket approaching said opening.

11. In a furnace for treating tin cans and the like the combination of a rotatable shaft, a basket thereon, means `for producing a heated deoxidized atmosphere in and about said basket, a casing surrounding said shaft and basket, a bearing for said shaft located Within said -casing and means for creating a Water seal for said bearing. l

12. In a furnace for treating tincans and the like the combination' of a rotatable system consisting of a shaft and a basket thereon, means for producing a heated deoXidized atmosphere in and about said basket, a casing surrounding said shaft and basket, a bearing for said shaft located Within said casing, said rotatable system havinga depending iiange, a cup embracing said iian e, a journal-box within said cup and means or maintaining said cup filled with water so as to create a seal between said flange and the edge of said cup.

13. In an apparatus for treating material by centrifugal force, the combination of a receptacle having series bf perforations in its sides, means for revolving the same about its axis, and a series of disks rotatably mounted on a second axis and provided with teeth that project through the perforations in said receptacle.

14. In an apparatus for treating materiai by centrifugal force, the combination of a revolving receptacle having series of erforations therein, a series of rotatable dis 'having teeth protruding through said perforations, said disks being mounted upon an axis eccentric to the axis of the revolving receptacle and inclined relatively thereto so that the end near the discharge-opening of said receptacle points in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said receptacle.

Signed at New York, ,N.IY., this 7th day of November, 1904. v

l MEREDITH LEITCH. Witnesses:

H. B. BROWNELL,

Y L. VREELAND. 

